Loading apparatus of breech-loading guns.



1A. VIGKERS & G. T. BUGKHAM.

LOADING APPARATUS 0F BRBEOH LOADING GUNS,

. I APPLICATION FILED NOV, 17, 1911. 1,128,555, Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

2 sums-mam 1.

- A. VIGKERS & G. T. BUOKHAM.

LOADING APPARATUS OF BREEGH LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED 110v. 17, 1911.

1,128,555. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALBERT VICKERS AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKI-IAM, or WESTMINSTER, LONDON,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS To vicKER-s LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

LOADING APPARATUS or BREECH-LOADING GUNS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed November 17, 1911. Serial No. 660,801.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT VicKnRs and Gnome Tnonas BUCKHAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Loading Apparatus. of Breech-Loading Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the loading apparatus of breech loading guns and has particular reference to projectile trays of the kind that, normally lie at one side of the gun and that are adapted to move through an arc of a circle in a horizontal plane with the tray always parallel to the axis of thegun, so that the rojectile is brougt into the loading posi ion behind the gun with its nose within the breech opening.

According to this invention the projectile tra v is pivotally mounted upon a supporting arm or member which in turn is pivotally connected to the cradle in such a manner that it takes the weight of the tray and projcctile so that the lever mechanism for keeping the tray parallel to the gun is not sub jected to any load. AS the Said tray is not under the influence of the locking action of the actuating worm gearing heretofore proposed we provide a catch device for normally retaining the Said tray in the projectile receiving position. We may also provide means for insuring that when the breech is closed the projectile tray shall occupy a position out of the path of recoil, these means preferably-comprising an extension of the breech actuating hand lever adapted to bear against the inner surface of the aforesaid supporting arm or member.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 an end elevation of the breech end of a gun provided with our improvements, the projectile tray being in its receiving position. Figs. 4 and 5 are re- Spectivelya vertical and a horizontal section showing the tray in the. leading position. "ilar to Figs. 1

of the breech end of the gun, projectile Figs. 6 and 7 are views s1 and a showing the telescopic form of tray, which in ig. 6 is adjusted to receive the projectile alone and in Fig. 7 is adjusted to receive the Fig. 8 is a section on an enlarged scale taken apprjoz cimately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 1s a section taken approximately on the line '22 of Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section through the pivot of the projectile tray showing 'a method by which long and short trays are rendered interchangcable.

In these figures A isthe breech end of the gun, A, the breech chamber, A the breech actuating hand lever and A the gun cradle.

13 is the projectile tray. j

C represents the aforesaid supporting arm or member which, in the examples Shown. has a vertical pivot 0 adapted to fit in a socket (Z formed in abracket D attached to the gun cradle. The Said arm or member C is also provided with a socket C' adapted to receive ,the vertical pivot B of the projectile tray B. I

Pivotally connectedto thebracket D attached to the gun cradle are two horizontal radius bars (1, d ofequal length the points of connection of the said radius bars with the bracket being Situated on stationary arms ,d" d arrangedoon' opposite sides of the aforesaid socket d. The free ends of the 'adius bars d d are pivotally connected to tlie ends of a horizontal two. armed lever or link I) carried by the lower end of the aforesaid vertical pivot B of the tray, about the axis of which pivot the tray turns in order to maintain its parallelism in moving to and from the loading position The supporting arm (11s furnished toward its rear end and, on its inner surface with 8. stops, which, when the tray B is swung into theloading positiomcomes into contact with the breech face as clearly shown Figs. 4,

-5 and 7. The said supporting arm also has another stop ,C which, by en aging with .a part d 5 and 6) of t e bracket D on the cradle, limits he outward movement of the tray as shown in Fig. 2. j, The aforesaid device for normally retaining the tray B in the rojectile receiving position comprises in t e examples shown catch 6' (Figs,- 2,3 and 5 which is pivpt; ally mounted in socket formi'n part of the tray and which has a nose I)" a a'ptd to enprojectile and charge together.

' parts of the'tray. A handle E is attached gage in a notch a in the supporting'arm C; a handle B* is attached to the catch 6' for moving the tray to and from its loading position.

i The means for retaining the tray B out of the path of recoil breech is closed comprise, shown, an extension a ating hand lever A?, which extension carries a roller a when the breech is closed, cooperates with the inner surface or edge 0 of the supporting arm G (as clearly shown in Fig. 2) to insure that the projectile tray B shall be out of the path of recoil when said tray is in its receiving position, and shall remain in that position during the recoil owing to the fact that the aforesaid roller runs along the surface C during the recoil of the gun into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2..

The projectile tray is so constructed that when in its loading position it will enter the breech opening A as shown in Figs. i, 5 and 7 to a suflicient extent to protect the breech threads from injury during the insertion of the projectile into the gun.

In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 the projectile tray is adapted to receive the projectile only, but in the example shown in Figs. 6 to 9, the tray is composed of two parts which are capable of relative longitu dinal or telescopic movement so that the tray can be lengthened toadapt it to receive the projectile and the owder charge (as shown in Fig. '7) and shortened to receive the projectile only as shown in Fig. 6. In order to retain the parts in their adjusted position a clamping bolt E (Figs. 8 and 9) is provided which is under the control of a. flat spring normally tendingt'o keep the bolt E in engagement with holes in the two to the bolt E for actuating it. \Vhen provision is made for interchanging long and short trays, each of the-trays is formed with a vertical pin B (Fig. 10),which fits into a hole in the aforesaid vertical pivot B car- 'ried in thesocket C of the supporting arm C. The pin H and pivot B arepreferably clamped together by a spring controlled bolt I) which passes through the pivot B and engages in a recess in the pin B.

What we claimand desire to secure by ,Letters Patent of the United States 1. In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination of a loading tray adaptedto lie to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a member pivoted to the gun cradle for supporting the whole weight of the tray and projectile, means for pivot ally superposing the tray upon said member, lever mechanism for keeping said tray parallel to the gun during its swinging to the tray adjacent of the gun when the.

in the examples of the breech actu- (Figs. 2 and 3). This roller,

the nose opemng, a member vvided with a socket for the loading position behind the gun with its front portion and the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a-pivoted member for supporting the whole weight of the tray and projectile, means for pivotally superposing the tray upon said member, le-

verrmechamsm. for keeping, said tray parallel to the gun during its swingingmovements to and from the loading position, and a handle on said tray for effecting a direct manual movement thereof.

In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the gun cradle, of a loading tray adapted to he to one side'of the gun and to tion behind the gun withfits front portion and the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a member pivoted to the gun cradle at a point behind and to one side of the gun breech and adapted to support be swung into the loading posithe whole weight of the tray and projectile,

means for pivotally superposing the tray upon said member, lever mechanism for lreeping'said tray parallel to the gun during its swmging movements to and from the loadin position, and a handle on said tray for e ectin a direct manual movement thereof.

4. In loading applaratus for ordnance, the combination with t e guncradle, of a loading tray adapted to lie to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with its front portion and of the projectile within the breech pivotedto the gun cradle at a o1nt behind and to one side ofthe gun breec and adapted to support the 'whole weight of the tray and pro ectile, means for pivotally superposing the member, a system of parallel levers for keeping said tray parallel to the gun during its swinging movements to and from the loading position, and a handle on said tray for effecting a'direct manual movement thereof. 7 5. In loading apparatus for ordnance,

the combination with the gun cradle, of'a loading tray adaptedto lie to one side of the gun nd to be swung into ,the loading position behind the gun with its front portion and the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a member pivoted to the gun cradle at a point behind and to one side of the gun breech and adapted to support the whole weight of the tray and projectile, a downwardly projecting pivot on said tray, a boss on said pivot, lever mechanism for keeping said tray parallel to the gun during its swinging movements tray upon said said member p'ro- .the gun )ositicn, and a handle on said tray for e manual movement thereof.

6. In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the gun cradle, of a loading tray adapted tolie to one side of and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with its front portion and the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a member pivoted to the gun cradle at a point behind and to one side of the gun breech and adapted to support the whole weight of the tray and projectile', a downwardly projecting pivot on "'ments toand said tray, a boss on said member provided with a. socket for said pivot, a two armed lever on said pivot, parallel levers connecting the ends of said levers to the gun cradle for keeping the tray parallel to the gun during its swinging movements to and from the loading position, and a handle on said tray for effecting a direct manual movement thereof.

7. In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the gun cradle, of a bracket attached to the cradle and extending to the rear of the gun breech, a loading tray adapted to lie to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with its front portion and the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a. member for supporting the whole weight of the tray and projectile, a downwardly projecting pivot on said member fitting in a socket in the aforesaid bracket said socket being behind and to one side of the gun breech, a downwardly projecting pivot on said tray, a boss on said member provided with a socket for said pivot, a two armed lever on said pivot, parallel levers connecting the ends of said lever to the said bracket for keeping the tray parallel to the gun during its swinging movefrom the loading position, and ahandle on said tray for effecting a direct manual movement thereof.

In loading apparatus fm ordnance, the combination with the gun cradle, of a loading tray adapted to lie to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with its front ortion and the nose of the projectile wit in the breech opening, gun cradle at a point behind and to one side of the gun breech and adapted to supportthe whole weight of the tray and projectile, means for pivotally superposing the for cooperating with a member pivoted-to the tray upon said member, lever mechanism for keeping said tray parallel to the gun during its. swinging movements to and from the loading position, a handle on said tray, and a. catch device adjacent to said handle the said member.

9. In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the gun cradle, of a loading tray adapted to lie to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with its front portion and the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a member pivoted to the in cradle at a point behind and to one side of the gun breech and adapted to support the whole weight of the tray and projectile, means for pivotally super-posing the tray upon said member, lever mechanism for keeping said tray parallel to the gun during its swinging movements to and from the loading position, a handle on said tray, and a catch device carried by the tray for cooperating with said member.

10. In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the breech actuating mechanism, of a loading tray adapted to he to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a hand lever for operating said breech mechanism, and a device form'- ing part of said hand lever for insuring that when the breech is closed the tray shall occupy a position out of the path of recoil of the gun.

11. In loading apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the breech actuating mechanism and the gun cradle, of a loading tray adapted to lie to one side of the gun and to be swung into the loading position behind the gun with the nose of the projectile within the breech opening, a hand lever for operating said breech actuating mechanism, a member pivoted to the gun cradle and adapted weight of the tray and projectile, an extension of said hand lever adapted to engage with the inner surface of said member, and stops carried by said member for limiting the movements of the tray.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT VICKERS. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM.

Witnesses:

, HENRY KING,

ALFRED PnAKs.

to support the whole- 

